


Black Birds

by Kuro_cache



Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series), Teen Titans (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Developing Relationship, Explicit Language, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Lemon, Romance, Sexual Content, Years Later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-23
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2018-11-17 23:40:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11279178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kuro_cache/pseuds/Kuro_cache
Summary: Five years after the Titans' disband Raven is living comfortability in the city of Gotham. Her normal life of zero hero-work or supernatural powers begins to deteriorate as a certain masked Titan returns home seeking to rekindle their past.





	1. Chapter 1

Raven settled into the steaming hot water of her bath and her muscles swooned in response. She laid her head against the back wall of the tub and cupped the water in her right hand, trailing it up her left arm. She repeated that process with the opposite arms adjusting her body's temperature to warm up with the water. Her finger tips glided along scarred tissue, the faint memory of their design left behind. She had gotten use to the feeling of these intricate markings permanently burned into her skin. No amount of her healing power could completely remove them. It was forever a reminder of her father, the pain and torture he subdued her to. A ghost of the demonic insignia that declared her very soul belonged to him. It also reminded her of what she had endured and conquered, and for that, she learned not to despise the sight of her nude flesh. They were symbols of victory not pain.

She picked up her half empty bottle of beer and took a quick drink, the liquid burning down her chest as she carefully set it down on the tile floor. She closed her eyes and sunk deeper into the water, letting the liquid frame her face. Her long purple hair fanned out around her face like a halo. After the long day she had, a moment of peace and relaxation was really all she needed.

As her mind ran over the days' events she seemed to linger on a particular sore that was the cause of her somber mood. Her chest seemed to cave in the more she tried to fight her thoughts and feelings that followed. She couldn't get his face out of her mind, that crooked smile and those blue eyes. She thought back to their conversation earlier that day. The first time she's seen him in years.

She had just clocked out from a morning shift at a local tea shop and was making her way to the curb to call for a taxi. Being that the shop was downtown in the hustle and bustle of the business district she was use to seeing all types of expensive cars and the self-centered people who could afford them. But on this particular day the sight of a jet black Lamborghini parked across the street in front of an office building did cause her to take a second glance. Followed by the stopping of her heart at the sight of the person who was approaching said car.

Richard-Wayne Greyson, dressed in finely tailored suit pants, shiny leather shoes, and a grey-blue buttoned up shirt. His jacket swung over his left shoulder as he glanced down at the blindingly platinum watch on his right wrist. He was swarmed by an entourage of uptight business men and touristy passerby's snapping candid pictures of him. As people usually did whenever Bruce Wayne appeared in the public eye. She watched him shake hands with several of the men keeping that small, professional grin on his face. He turned to get back into his car and as he looked up a second passed by where he met her gaze.

 _Shit!_ Raven quickly looked away to the busy street hoping a taxi would drive by. As she frantically searched she saw him begin to stride across the street. Realizing she had no way of escaping this altercation she began dusting off her dirty, tea stained apron and smoothing down her waist length hair. She was dressed in a cheap violet velvet dress, black tights and a pair of boots heels, definitely not the type of woman a Wayne man would go out of their way to talk to. And yet here he was, defying traffic to come speak to her.

"Raven!" He smiled

"Richard," She replied weakly, feeling suddenly terribly self-conscious.

Instantly all the emotions she had for him came flooding back the moment he stepped in front of her. She spent years convincing herself she had moved on and all of that faltered as he pulled her in for a warm embrace. She breathed in the fragrance of his expensive cologne and loved it more than she'd ever admit. He looked her up and down with curious blue eyes. "You look great Rae, how have you been?"

"It's actually Rachel now, and thank you," She bit her lip noticing the people behind him wondering the exact same question she was thinking, why he was talking to her. "Um, I just got off work. About to head home."

He looked behind her to the humble little tea shop, "You work here? Is it any good?"

"I just got promoted to assistant manager so I'm inclined to say yes."

He chuckled lightly, his bottom lip sliding between his teeth. "Why don't we talk over something to eat and a cup?" He pointed to the cafe, "I'd love to catch up."

"You're not too busy with, all of that," She asked glancing over his shoulder.

He waved the men away, "Oh, no I just finished a meeting and I'd hate to loose sight of you again. It's been too long."

She stepped a bit closer to him so that no one would hear what she was about to say. "For Robin, it's been a long time. But I don't think Richard has ever introduced me to this life of his."

"hmm," He placed his hand under his chin, "you're right about that. So then lets start now," He extended his hand and she stupidly took it.

They spent the entire after noon eating pastries and sipping tea. It all began as a way for them to catch up on their lives, although Raven let him do most of the talking. Soon their conversation turned to a subject she was actively trying to avoid.

 _"Our relationship..."_ She remembered him say. What relationship? That word had two, _very_ different meanings to them.

They were both older now, matured and pursing different paths after the Titan's split. She decided now that her father was subdued, to finally have a _normal_ life. And not the Clark Kent, secret identity type of normal life, but an actual _life_. A job, an apartment, friends to go eat brunch with and force her to talk to men at local bars. Well, the last part speaking if she had actual friends, but still a simple, supernatural free life.

He was the one that decided to continue hero work, and hated that fact that she was "wasting her gifts" by not joining him. He was the one that never pursued her when she was obviously interested and only a few doors down the hallway from him. They drifted apart, wanted other things in life, dated other people. And Raven was accepting that. It was hard at first but eventually she moved on.

So now here she was, five years later perfectly at ease with her life when suddenly he shows up and spews his "bottled up" feelings for her? What the Hell was she supposed to take from that?

Did he really expect her to just fall into his arms and begin this new relationship with him?

She tried to think back to the last time she had a "relationship" with someone and found nothing worth remembering. She had little flings here and there with Beast Boy who knows how long ago. They meant more to him than they did to her. He always made an effort to let her know how much he liked her. That little insecure sixteen year old she was, couldn't help but give him a chance. The only guy that was brave enough to pursue her at the time, even when she shut him down over and over again.

They didn't fall out of affection for one another, Raven just found their routine getting boring. Physical pleasure was dull if there was nothing else for her to connect to.

She shifted in the water as so did her thoughts, to another connection she once had. Regrettably it was with _him_ , her Robin, even though now he called himself by another name. She tried to stop herself from sliding into this distant memory she kept buried, but seeing him tonight only unearthed it.

To Raven, Beast Boy wasn't her first lover.

She sunk deeper into the water as the memory flooded her vision. . .

Raven sat up in her bed hearing Robin yell and grunt in his sleep. She could feel his pain and discomfort radiate through her body and as of tonight, this was way too many times for comfort. He tossed and turned in his bed for hours every single night before exhaustion won him over. Her room was down the hall from his and whether he knew it or not, she could hear and _feel_ his torment.

The ghost of Slade was no longer plaguing Robin's mind, the hallucinations had passed. However, that reality didn't change the fact that he was still marred by it. The discomfort within himself, not being able to trust his own mind. Robin almost killed himself because of this, she knew the aftermath wasn't going to be easy to just shake off.

She was in no position to heal someone else, but she needed to try. She silently manifested into his room, curling her fingers around her cloak nervously. At the sight of him beneath his covers, a sudden urge to retreat set fire to her nerves. She never pushed Robin's boundaries like this before, invaded his privacy, but this was for his own benefit.

Taking a deep breath she told herself it was for a good reason, and continued forward.

She placed her shanking hand on his wrist. "Robin." She whispered. He jolted forward catching his breath as if he had been holding it in his sleep. She saw how red his face was, how tired his eyes looked and had a hard time comparing him to their fearless leader. He pushed the hair stuck to his face out of his view and threw her a tired glance.

"Raven," He muttered, his voice deep and husky from sleep. He shifted under his grey comforter and her eyes wandered up his chest, glistening from sweat. His broad shoulders hunched as he gripped onto his arm, rubbing it softly. Her eyes lingered on the scars running along his back and the few on his arms and looked away before he noticed her stare.

"You need to sleep." She replied in a soft, raspy tone.

He looked away dismissively, "I'm sorry I woke you."

She tightened her grip on his wrist knowing he was only trying to put up another wall. This time she wouldn't let him. "Let me help you."

He sighed and glanced into her large doe eyes before pulling his arm away. He sat up with his head hanging low; she couldn't stand seeing him like this. As someone who spends most of her time in her head she knew what it was like to be lost of the only true safe haven a person has. She had the ability to invade others thoughts, it wasn't a skill she used unless it was completely necessary and she deemed this situation very necessary.

He pressed his back against his head board and set his bottom lip between is teeth. Raven sighed at his reluctance, being vulnerable wasn't exactly his forte. Squaring his shoulders he looked at her trying to be as confident as he was during their missions.

"I'm fine Raven, Go back to bed." He tried to put an ounce of authority into his voice, but it faltered. She didn't know where this sudden boldness came from but she climbed into his bed and sat beside him.

"Let me help you." She repeated, this time not sounding like it was a question. "I want you to think about what's causing you this pain, it'll be easier for me to locate it." She reached up and he caught her hands before they touched his face.

"And then what?" His sharp blue eyes seemed to glow under the furrow of his brows. He knew what she was trying to do, and he wouldn't let her do it. She was empathetic, she wanted to endure his pain for him; but it wasn't her burden to bare.

She looked into his eyes and wanted to remove the black leather hiding them. Even when he slept he kept his identity hidden, but that didn't matter now. Once he agreed, she would know everything about him, down to his deepest fears. But her abilities worked both ways, she had to give up a piece of her self in exchange and she would become just as vulnerable.

She carefully wedged her finger tips under his mask and was slightly surprised he didn't stop her. "I'll make it go away," She knew this wasn't a permanent solution, but it was magic strong enough to aid him for a few weeks. Get him comfortable in his own head again.

"No Raven." His hands tightened on her wrists.

"Do you trust me?" She snapped, a spark of purple blazing in her eyes. He paused, confused by her abrupt question. "Yes. But it's not just my life I'm keeping a secret," If he let her in, she would know more than just his secret identity, she would know of Batman's secrets as well and that alone had it's consequences.

"My life is . .complicated Rae."

"Who am I to tell?" She asked, looking into his eyes again. "I just want to help you." She was pleading with him now and a part of her didn't know why seeing him in such distress bothered her so much.

He was still unsure and she wondered if she should just give up on this, he wanted to handle this on his own. Like he did with everything.

"You have your own sorrows Rae, I'm not adding another one." He added.

She bowed her head hiding the warmth that spread through her cheeks. "Don't worry about me, I've been to realms far worse than anything that can be conjured in this one." She looked into his icy blue eyes and cherished the feeling of his fingertips gliding down her hands in surrender. She peeled his mask from his face and she could tell he wasn't use to the feeling of it not being there to protect him.

Placing his mask aside, she pressed her palms against each side of his head and he tensed at the coldness of her hands. They breathed in unison for a few moments and she waited for him to relax.

"Focus" She whispered. He was hesitant, slightly trembling under her touch, and she realized Slade wasn't the memory he was searching for.

"Pain onto me. ." She breathed.

Suddenly it hit her, a burst of energy that overwhelmed all of her senses. She gasped as it surged through her body, sparking and numbing her to the core. Her skin ignited like he was lighting her on fire and yet she felt ice cold on the inside. She focused her energy through her palms, soothing him as the memory that gave him the greatest pain filtered through their shared minds. The scene played out in front of her like she was physically there in Robin's place. She could hear the crowd of people, smell the sugar and popcorn, feel the sweat roll down her face.

 _"The flying Greysons!"_ The audience applauded as their performance came to the end of their first act.

Raven panted, trying to catch her breath as every thought and feeling that coursed through Dick's body now invaded hers. The warmth of his mother's arms around her was intoxicating and she didn't want her to let go. The scent of her perfume filling her lungs gave her such a strong, somber feeling of nostalgia. The roughness of her mother's bedazzled leotard grazing her face as they separated reminded her that this was all so real.

The rope supporting both her parents snapped and the gasp from the audience ripped up her spine. The screams of terror from the crowd deafened her and the crippling sense of agony brought her to her knees. The bloody pulp of her parents below sent a blood curdling scream from her lips.

Another emotion he felt slammed into her next. Like jumping into ice cold water and feeling it stab you to the bone; guilt and regret.

She could have prevented their death, she knew something was wrong but it was too late to warn them.

_He was too late._

Raven opened her eyes with a large gasp. She dropped her hands from his face and they fell limp in her lap. Heavy tears streamed down her face obscuring her vision.

"I'm so sorry.." She sobbed, forcibly wiping her eyes. Her body quivered as she fought to catch her breath, she had no idea _this_ was his origin. She knew of that accident, it was all over the news, in the papers. There were stories and rumors about his parents death being an inside job, a suicide, or some conspiracy, anything that destroyed his parents names. Bruce Wayne taking him in was probably the smartest way to keep him safe.

Robin kept his identity and personal life separate from them, for all they knew Batman was his biological father. She now realized how important that was to keep a secret.

Dick cupped her face in his hands as she continued to cry, that same breathless sob that consumed him the night his parents died. "Raven. ." He breathed.

He felt so incompetent watching her cry the same way he did so many years ago. Her name was the only thing he could find in his voice. She didn't have to do that for him, this serenity he now felt was uncommon, irregular and yet he was so grateful to have it.

"Rae. ." He stammered again, his blue eyes searching her face to see if she was okay.

"I'll be all right," She replied, slightly sniffling. "The feeling is familiar."

The image that now played in Robin's mind was the death of Raven's mother during the destruction of Azarath. Raven summoned her father to that place, their safe haven and allowed him to lay waste to it. That same stab of guilt and regret plucked at his nerves and he looked up at her in disbelief. She gave him a small smile of encouragement as if saying they can both endure more than what haunts their pasts.

He felt Raven's presence leave him and he wanted that link again; having her there made him feel safe. He knew Raven had powers stronger than he'd ever understand, but the fact that she thought of herself so horribly confused him. She was the daughter of Trigon but she wasn't as demonic as she believed. She could do so much good with her power.

They looked into each others eyes and that's when Raven felt that connection; they had both shared something so deep and personal. For once she saw Robin without his mask, without those walls he used to keep them out. For once she understood the mystery behind his icy gaze, the discipline he had taught himself to have, and the over protective nature he had for his team. He was open and vulnerable, and to her surprise, she was too. They felt as though they had just formed a bond he could never have with anyone else.

 _That_ to her, was what made physical pleasure more enjoyable, that was what made her want him.

Robin, their fearless leader that always held their needs above his. Her friend, that always understood her even on her worst of days and encouraged her to do great things with the power she once despised. She wanted him in a way that she'd never think to have him before.

"Robin?" She whispered. Raven gripped his sheets feeling tension suddenly billow into the room. This heated suspense that filled the space between them was almost tangible. She didn't want to leave and there was this overwhelming feeling that he didn't want her to leave either.

She leaned towards him and he adjusted with her movements slipping his hand threw her soft purple hair. Her hands rested against his pectorals as their noses brushed together. He smelled of embers and Raven liked it more than she realized, wanting to breath in more of him. He opened up for her and she fit perfectly between his arms, jumping a little at his hands cupped her hips. Her eyes trailed to his lips and she desperately wanted to erase the space between them.

They shared another quick glance before she placed a heated kiss to his lips. She pulled away looking into his eyes asking if that was warranted or not, this whole scenario seeming like a dream to her. How many times had she fabricated a moment like this with him? Sharing his bed, exchanging kisses and awkward glances.

He gently cupped under her chin and pulled her back to his lips with a small grunt. He seemed much more practiced than her shy embrace and easily took control, gliding his teeth against Raven's bottom lip, pressing her closer to him as his hands skillfully caressed her form. They parted to catch their breath and something caught fire inside her, an emotion she'd never quite felt before. It's warmth spread through her whole body and curled at her toes.

"Rae," He breathed, eyes focused on her mouth before traveling down her body in that shiny black leotard. "Stay with me."

Strangely she liked how that sounded like an order more than a question. An order she'd gladly comply to. Raven eagerly kissed him back, enjoying the taste of mystery and lust on his tongue. She pulled him closer finding each press and nip of his mouth irresistible. She straddled his waist as his hands snaked up to her shoulders and unhooked her cloak. As it fell to the floor she winced at the unfamiliar feeling of not being sheltered by it. But that was quickly erased by the feeling of his fingers pulling the collar of her leotard down her shoulders.

Raven jolted forward causing her bath water to _Slush_ out of the tub and SPLAT onto the bathroom floor. She dragged her hand across her face as she shook off that vivid memory. It's contents so tangible she felt emotionally and physically drained.

She looked around her small bathroom and settled back against the tub wall carefully, as if to avoid slipping into another scene from her past. She couldn't help but feel uneasy; on the one hand she wanted to forget him, forget ever having some type of connection with him or affection for him. But on the other hand, the possibility of exploring the relationship that could have been was so tempting. So intriguing and blissful that when she saw him earlier, she melted under his gaze. Raven wanted to fall for his words but the better part of her fought against it.

She groaned with such force that it echoed off the walls, she hadn't felt so many surges of emotions at once in a long time. It was annoyingly exhausting.

"I won't think about it now." She voiced out loud.

There was no reason to tear herself apart about this, she needed to meditate off of good vibes, positive thoughts. That connection they once had as teenagers meant something then, but now it was irrelevant. For whatever reason he failed to acknowledge that.

She pulled the stopper and let the water drain from the tub as she hopped out into the warmth of her foggy bathroom. Wrapping a towel around her chest she left her bathroom and discarded her last empty beer bottle. Making a note to go grocery shopping soon.

Raven stopped mid step as she heard a soft 'thud' in her living room. She turned slowly, looking to the end of the hall with her magic sparking at the tips of her fingers. Creeping around the corner she paused at the sight her balcony door wide open. The cold night air blew harshly into the room as a figure clad in black stood at the threshold. A blue bird painted across his chest.


	2. Chapter 2

Raven clutched tighter on the hem of her cotton towel as she slowly walked into the living room. With a small tilt of her head she looked him over honestly surprised to see him in her home. No one from her past knew where she currently resided and that was a secret she had no desire to reveal any time soon.

"Richard?" She spoke. He stood a few inches over six feet in a skin tight, jet black neoprene suit that framed every superlative curve of his body. His hair was tousled modestly to the nape of his neck and surprisingly he looked very different from earlier that day. As if there was a real difference between Nightwing and Richard Greyson. She tried to search for his eyes hidden behind his mask to deflect the feeling of his critical stare. She could tell he was observing every inch of her body, slightly humored he caught her soaking wet in nothing but a towel.

"I just wanna talk Rae," He began, holding his palms out in front of him as if showing her he was innocent. He walked into her living room and chuckled, "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"It seems that way," She muttered and looked away to the water dripping from her hair onto the cream colored carpet. "Ill be right back."

Raven quickly dried off and dressed in an oversized black tee shirt, with a triangle bra and matching panties underneath. She brushed her hair into a pony tail that laid modestly against the middle of her back. She spent a few extra moments looking herself over in the mirror, feeling slightly ridiculous for caring what he thought of how she looked. But then again, no one could look so effortless as he did all the time.

As she walked back into her living room she saw him strolling around the room, looking at the few pictures she had on the walls. Mostly gothic art of obscure sceneries, still life's of ravens in floral compositions, re-prints of old renaissance and a small photo of a woman in a white robe.

"That's my mom, Arella" She voiced. He bent over to look at the picture closer, "You look just like her"

There was a slight pause as she figured he'd tell her why he was here, but after a few seconds of silence she spoke first, "I mean, I would ask how you found out where I live, but considering you're you-"

"Come on Raven," He chuckled, turning to face her. "you live in Gotham now. Bruce Wayne practically owns this city, and ironically, these apartment buildings. It wasn't hard to find you at all." He walked passed her and continued to look around her apartment, comfortably ignoring the fact that she was probably mad at him.

"Really? Because first you show up at my job and now here," She interjected, slightly annoyed for a multiple of reasons. The wind blowing into her home shivering her half to death being the biggest concern. She walked clear across the room and closed her balcony door. "If I didn't know any better I'd think this afternoon wasn't a coincidence"

She decided to lock her door too, as if that would stop anyone like Richard from coming in anyway. He watched her the entire time as she performed such a normal and mundane task. A slight tilt of his head with a question lingering on his tongue. "Why not close it the old fashioned way?"

"Because..I-I don't do that anymore." She muttered. Yes, it's true a lot of tasks in her life would be made much easier if she still used her powers, but that's not the type of life she wanted to live anymore. "And if that's why you're here, I'm sorry to say but I'm retired."

"That's not why, although a part of me did hope." He shrugged.

She turned around thinking that she would not allow herself to become the interrogated in this situation. If he wanted answers from her she wanted them from him as well. Obviously they couldn't talk about his other life, or her lack of one during their brunch this afternoon. But she didn't expect him to show up at her house to continue. "What are you doing in Gotham Robin?-"

"Nightwing" He corrected, "The bird is blue now," He smirked pointing to his chest. She crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her hip to the side, "I'm being serious."

He nodded and so she continued, "Nightwing," She sighed. "Why are you looking for me? I moved here in secrecy, purposely because I needed a new life away from everything. Gotham already has their villains and heroes. I don't need to be "Raven" anymore."

There were always times where she witnessed people in danger, but those instances were always greeted by another hero to take care of it for her. For once she could just be a normal passerby with a clear conscious; a League of heroes was more than enough for this city.

He glanced down at the red gem on a thin silver chain around her neck and realized that must be her new location for it rather than her forehead. Now that her father was no longer a threat she really had no other enemies of her own, no other battles to fight. Nightwing sat on the arm of her couch and crossed his arms over his chest.

"First, You will always be Raven to me, whether you change your name or not," She only sighed, not caring enough to correct him for she knew it was a hard transition, she still calling him Robin was testimony to that.

"Secondly, I had no idea where you were until today. I was across the street handling business for Bruce, so _yes_ it was a coincidence. And thirdly, Gotham is home. I do visit my family from time to time. Sooner or later we would have run into each other right? If you wanted to avoid me, this was the wrong city to choose."

"I wasn't sure of where to go at first, when my mother told me she was born here, I just decided to stay." She shrugged,"But this isn't just a visit for you, you're moving back?"

"Yes" Nightwing shrugged. "Bruce is retiring, Tim is...gone, Barbara is out of commission," He stood up and started pacing back and forth, she could sense the anxiety begin to build in him. "Jason is psychotic, and Damian's too young and a pain in my ass. I'm in Gotham because I have a dysfunctional family that won't operate without me."

"Oh, I'm so sorry I didn't know." She rubbed her neck feeling guilty she jumped at him so quickly. She didn't mean to make everything about herself. "I just thought, because of today when you-I'm sorry. I don't mean that I'm not happy to see you but honestly it was... an interesting surprise" she looked away, feeling goosebumps ripple up her neck and arms.

"It was for me too, but honestly I was grateful for it. So much so that I needed to find you." His hand trailed over a stack of news paper cut out crosswords as he walked around her small coffee-table. He stopped in front of her, his six feet towering over her five.

"Hmm, 'need' is a _very_ strong word Mr. Greyson." She sighed, eying his firm chest before making her way up to his face. He stepped closer to her, in such a distance he could smell the soap on her skin and beer on her breath.

"But that's not the only reason I needed to see you again." His voice dropped a few octaves lower reverberating shivers up her spine.

_Oh Azar.._

Raven froze, feeling something stir in her chest. She could tell in his body language, the gleam in his eyes, the tugging of his bottom lip, that he was about to.

"Nightw-" He pitched forward and silenced her with a kiss. His hands cupped under her chin pulling her closer against his lips as if he was finally quenching an agonizing thirst.

"Mmm" She mumbled as the words she was trying to say got jumbled up into a breathy moan.

She wanted to stay this way, kissing him as if nothing was wrong. As if they were just two star crossed lovers reuniting again, but it just didn't feel right. Granted kissing former Boy Wonder felt _amazing,_ but in the same way dark chocolate tastes, sweet but bitter.

Her hand slipped under his jaw and fingers curled into his hair, the 'bitterness' becoming more and more tolerable. His hands weaved around her waist and pulled her flush against his chest. She shivered under the feeling of his contoured muscles cradling her form, the texture of his suit brushing against her skin. As Raven felt his tongue swipe across her bottom lip she pushed him away.

"I...I can't do this, it's not that easy,"

He took hold of her hand, "Raven look, I'll be honest, this afternoon I just, unloaded everything. I know that was stupid of me, not something that should be our first conversation in five years. But you're the only one I can talk to about...All of this..." He placed his hand over the blue bird on his chest and she knew what he meant. A secret she successfully kept to her self all these years.

He stepped forward again, close enough she could smell his cologne. She looked down at her fingers intertwined with his and listened to his heart felt words and yet for some reason it wasn't enough. He was the first person she ever really connected with, bared all to, in more ways than one and still he chose the other girl. A pain like that doesn't heal so easily.

She cupped his cheek, "I'll always care for you and you can always talk to me about anything. You're my friend Richard, that's all." She whispered with a small sympathetic shrug. It's easier to just be friends, keep her emotions at bay, especially around people like Richard that easily rallied them up.

He knew she wasn't just being stubborn, that he really did hurt her and nothing he said could be a quick fix. But he wasn't going to let her go this time. He was willing to be patient, but he refused to let her think he didn't, at some point feel the same way she did.

"Do you remember _that_ night?" he replied.

Raven looked into his eyes in shock, her heart feeling as if it would implode. She was just thinking of that night only moments ago and here he was bringing it up again. "Don't." She warned as her emotions began to flare and she suddenly regretted her lack of discipline when it came to meditation.

After that night she waited; first a few days that gradually turned into weeks, which then turned into months, then years where she waited for him to tell her what they shared was only the beginning to a future he wanted to spend with her. But he never did, and so she learned to accept it, hide her feelings like she usually does and moved on.

He cupped her hands, "You do, you remember it just as vividly as I do."

"T-that was years ago" She replied, trying to repress the memory once again. Trying to remind him that time smothered a flame that she might not want to rekindle.

"It doesn't matter, we both felt something that night," She huffed knowing very well what "feeling" he was referring to.

"And it wasn't just the sex," He replied, shaking his head.

His eyes flicked up to her face as he smirked, "As amazing as it was-" "We were just kids..." She scoffed, realizing that phrase insulated they'd achieve a much more pleasurable experience if they were to have sex now as adults.

"There was more, and I took that for granted. I took you for granted Raven, And if there is one thing that I've learned with all the shit happening in my life right now, is that I need to go for the things that I want." He paused, "And I want you. It just took you leaving for me to realize it."

She could feel his emotions emanating from his pores, the very depths of her being could tell her was being undoubtedly vulnerable and honest. She leaned forward and kissed him again, he finally said the words she'd been waiting for him to say. Apologize for making her feel like he did take her for granted.

"Okay, Dick" She breathed, bringing a smile to his face. "We can _try_ this, relationship thing. Let's just take this slowly okay?"

He smirked, "That's more than perfect for me Rav-Rachel," He told her.

"Now you should probably get back to, whatever you were doing before this," She poked his chest and he smiled that irresistible boyish grin.

He kissed her again and she could feel how excited he was. "Of course, But I'll see you soon." Something told her he meant sooner than she thought, but she only nodded in agreement.

Nightwing left the same way he came and as she closed her balcony door behind him Raven couldn't help but feel somewhat at ease. She had Robin back in her life, although now he was Nightwing and she could only be seen with him while he was Richard. The situation seemed only slightly more complicated than it actually was, she hoped.


	3. Chapter 3

"Thanks Alfred," Richard said as his family's faithful butler set his breakfast in front of him. The savory smell of steak, eggs, potatoes, and coffee filled his lungs and he instinctively clutched his stomach. His mouth practically watered at the array of food and he couldn't believe how long it had been since he had a nice home cooked meal.

Alfred nodded and strolled to the left side of the table to place an identical plate in-front of Richard's brother Damian. Damian only nodded as his food was set in front of him, his attention better focused on a thin tablet in his hands.

As Richard opened a thick cotton napkin and placed it over his lap he thought back on the past few nights. It had been a nonstop flow of working during the day, then switching to a more vigorous job at night catching criminals. Long hours were spent in boring business meetings followed by sorting and filling paperwork then he journeyed back to Jump City to finish packing up his old place. He had to remind himself to sleep, eat, slow down and take care of himself. Salivating over his breakfast reminded him just how little he had been eating and sleep was becoming a foreign concept by now.

The last thing he wanted was to get over worked, which was a trait he was far too familiar with. Glancing at his brother and Bruce sitting at the table he sighed, remembering when he took eating together with his family for granted. He eyed the gray of Alfred's hair and deep lines of history on his face and felt a sense of ease. His family needed him, so all this hard work wasn't in vain.

At least one of his nights turned out well, he got to see Raven again. A small smile crept at the edge of his lips at just the thought of her name. _Richard?_ He picked up his fork and knife, still remembering his brief time with her, the imprint of her lips still fresh on his mind. "Richard."

He looked up to see that Bruce was calling for him. His father, clad in black, sat at the head of the table opposite of Richard with Damian on his left.

"Sorry, I was..thinking." Dick muttered, poking his eggs.

"Hopefully about the renovations?"

"Yeah Uh-I've narrowed it down to a few locations." He shrugged, shoveling eggs into his mouth.

"Good," Bruce replied. He glanced over to his other son and clicked his teeth. "Why do you insist on bringing your electronics to the table?"

"Because I can't afford to take breaks. Villains won't wait till I'm done with breakfast to rob a bank or blow up a school." Dami voiced, more focused on his vigorous typing than listening to his father's order.

His little brother was an odd one to Richard. Being the youngest you'd think he'd learn from all the trauma his elder siblings went through to steer clear of life as a Robin. But he gladly embraced the job, sought after it even. It was evident that in his mind, being the only biological son of Batman, Robin was part of his lineage; his rightful duty more than the others. It never bothered Richard other than how pretentious he could be at times.

"Yeah but that's why we have a police force" Richard replied.

Damian scoffed, "And yet they need you."

Richard didn't reply to that remark. The police are legally obligated to do their job whereas Batman and other heroes just _decided_ it was their job. In a sense, they were just as much vigilantes as the people they arrested. Maybe that's why he felt the need to become a detective, a real one, with the training and legal backing. It felt good for once to be on the inside, know the system of government, then put on his mask and catch the criminals he investigated.

Either way moving back to Gotham he needed the job, so it was more like he relied on the police force than the other way around. And Commissioner Gordon was more than happy to give him the position.

"What are you even doing?" Richard asked, noticing Damian's food was still untouched.

"Why don't you tell us Dick, who is this?" He turned his device around showing his eldest adopted brother a candid picture of him and Raven talking outside the tea shop from a few days ago.

Richard's stomach dropped as he saw the image of Raven sipping tea, his hand placed delicately on top of hers. "Where the hell did you get that!" He reached for the tablet but Damian pulled it away and handed it to Alfred, who after glancing at the picture for several seconds, handed it to Bruce.

Dick froze as Bruce looked over the photo, his brow raised before dropping back down into a hard line. "I'm curious too."

Richard could feel his face begin to heat up as the three of them stared at him so intently. It had been years since the last time he was in a relationship and it was with another hero. Considering that he was so closely tied to Batman, for obvious reasons they were very cautious with who they allowed into their personal lives.

"She's-She is just an old friend." He quickly replied.

"Ohh what's this? Dick's got a girlfriend?"

He turned to see Barbara enter the room, her electric wheelchair barley making a sound as she joined them for breakfast, sitting opposite of Damian. She swept her long orange hair over her shoulder eyeing Dick playfully. "Let me see!"

"No!" Richard pleaded.

Alfred handed her Damian's tablet, "Oh!" Her eyes darted to Dick's face before returning to the picture of Raven. "She's pretty."

"A Titan?" Bruce asked, knowing they were the only friends Richard really had.

"No, just an old friend from the academy,"

"Oh yeah I remember now! She was really quiet right? Mostly kept to herself." Barbra added, seeing how uncomfortable Dick was. Bruce only nodded returning to his food and morning paper in his left hand.

Richard tried to relax his stiff posture and for a moment the subject of Raven seemed to have dropped from their conversation. After finishing his eggs and potatoes he noticed Damian staring at him from the corner of his eye. "What?"

"You're not a very good liar." Damian replied, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Dick dropped his fork officially annoyed with his pestering little brother. "Don't you have anything better to do than stalk people? Like maybe have a normal life like a regular 16 year old?"

"First, that picture was taken by a tabloid, If I really wanted to find out who she is I'm almost positive I can because, as you know I'm not a regular 16 year old _Dick._ " The way Damian said his name sounded more like an insult than a nickname. Richard only sighed and picked up his fork, poking his steak.

"You have to be careful about that Richard," Bruce pointed out.

"Yeah I know, I learned my lesson. I'm not use to the...popularity I guess, back in the city."

The more he thought on it, Dick realized Bruce was only ever seen out in public for big events, expensive dimly lit restaurants, and substantial meetings over the several companies he owned and even then, he was still pretty well hidden. Now here he was, stupidly going out on a date with Raven and having to deal with his supposed relationship being put up all over the internet.

 _"Shit"_ He thought, thinking that if he was getting all this attention, so was Raven and that was the exact opposite of what she wanted when she moved here. He rubbed his forehead silently cursing himself for being so clueless.

"Don't worry Richard, it's just the allure of a Wayne, in a week there will be a new celebrity to drool over." Barbara spoke, and he only hoped she was right.

"Are we ever going to meet this friend?" Bruce asked, getting the hunch that this was a relationship Dick intended on becoming serious, being that he was getting so defensive.

"Maybe, I'm not sure. Definitely not if she's just going to be _interrogated_." He growled, glancing at Damian.

"Dami, Richard. Play nice." Barbra sighed.

Damian was brash but he meant well, she noticed after her last tragic mission as Batgirl Damian had become much more protective over his older siblings. He didn't show the concern or fear but she knew it was there. Her little brother only shrugged and returned to his device and untouched food.

"So how did the deal go Wednesday?" Bruce asked.

"Fine, the building is in our budget. Center of downtown, it's just really busy."

"Too busy for the police department to be stationed?" Barbara asked.

"No, I think that'll calm it down a bit. Especially at night, I'm just not sure about some of the local businesses,"

"Because your new girlfriend works across the street.." Damian interceded.

"What?" Richard replied.

"Rachel Roth, 24 years old, attended madison high school in san francisco, Work's at Ryu's Cafe-"

"Damian I swear to god!" He stood to his feet, towering over his little brother who stood as well, taking on his challenge.

"Enough." Bruce ordered.

Alfred takes Damien's tablet out of his hands and walks away with it. Richard sits back down in his seat, still eyeing his brother. "There's a smaller building a few streets down. I'd rather work out of the way of shopping centers and tourists. Since it'll just be me and a small team."

"Good idea."

And with that the conversation was over and Richard quickly finished his breakfast to get back on the rode. He walked out to the front of the manor and was surprised to see his car wasn't sitting in the drive waiting for him.

"Master Grayson, your quarters have been prepared." Alfred announced.

Dick quickly turned around, "What? I told him not to do this."

Alfred only shrugged giving him a 'don't shoot the messenger' expression and waved his hand down the hall way to take it up with his father. Richard stalked back into the manor to the West wing and stepped into Bruce's study. Today his duties were to find a new place to stay in Gotham, sure living with his father was an option, just not a favorable one at his age.

After his talk with Bruce and fighting off his insistent nagging that he live at the Wayne manor again, Richard decided to at least observe the corner of their home that was supposed to give him "privacy and protection". No safer place than under the Bat's wing. He walked into the large bedroom, it smelled of leather and forest pine. The dark hardwood floor was glossy and freshly waxed, his bed was large in all black blankets and pillows. He had a walk in closet and a separate bathing room. An outdoor office where the walls were made of glass allowing him a clear view of the grounds behind the manor.

"Like a bird in a cage." He whispered.

Two small taps sounded at his door. "Knock Knock"

"Hey," he smiled, seeing Barbara enter his room. She glanced around for a moment before giving him a sly expression, "You're not staying are you?"

"Absolutely not" He quickly replied, "I know Bruce means well but I like being on my own and I'm sure the only privacy I'd get in this place would require killing all the cameras and mic's" He shook his head laughing quietly. "And putting a tracker on Damian"

"I get it, you want _privacy.._ " She rolled her chair further into his room, glancing over her shoulder to make sure no one was there.

Dick noticed her caution, "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing, I just, I recognized that girl," She lowered her voice, "that's Raven right?"

Richard thought about lying but realized that'd do no good, especially since Barbara worked with the Teen Titans a few times while she was still Batgirl. Of course she recognized Raven, even with her different appearance.

"Yeah," Dick muttered.

"That's great! You got your team back!"

"No just her, and like I said, she's not a meta-human. _Well,_ she doesn't want to be anymore." He shrugged, shoving his hands into his pant pockets. He paced around his room, blindly glancing at the generic portraits of landscapes on the walls. "I ran into her a few days ago and everything just came flooding back to me." His voice drifted off as he seemed caught up in a fond memory. Having Barbara to vent to felt like a big relief and he knew she could keep a secret.

"The team spilt when she was 19, that was five years ago. I never realized how much I missed her."

Barbara crossed her arms over her chest. " _Ohh_ , so Damian was right." She smiled, "This isn't a team or business relationship?"

Richard chuckled, "I hope not, but we are just taking things slowly right now. Rav- Rachel's introverted and she knows I can get _excited,"_

Barbara smiled sympathetically. "I see, just start simple. Sure you've known her for years, but if she wants a new life, you gotta start at the beginning."

Alfred walked to the door of Richards room, "Master Grayson, your car is out front."

"Thanks," Richard nodded, catching his car keys Alfred tossed. Their butler promptly walked away and once he was out of ear shot Dick and Barbara continued their conversation as he made his way out.

"I don't want to do anything too extravagant, but at the same time I want to give her everything" Richard confessed, like the sappy romantic he was.

They came to the front entrance and Richard pressed the small button to disarm his car alarm. Barbara glanced over at his half a million dollar car with a doubtful expression. That was the exact definition of extravagant.

"What about inviting her to Jump City to help you pack up? You guys can visit your old town, have a casual time together... And maybe with a car that costs less than her entire life savings?"

" _Oh_ " Richard sighed, looking at his car realizing she was completely right. "That's not a bad idea Bab's, I'll try it." He bent over and kissed her cheek, then ran back down the steps to his car. "Thanks!"

"Let me know how it goes!" She yelled as he drove away.

 _"Simple"_ Dick thought as he sped down the freeway. He could do that and he was sure Raven would appreciate it.

An alert began to ring and his GPS screen switched to a live video feed of Damian waiting for him to answer. Richard accepted the call, but kept his eyes forward, "You find anything on Jason?"

"No, but as I suspected, Red-X has been M.I.A as well," Damian replied.

Dick clicked his teeth, "You really think that's him?"

"Considering your history with Red-X, I'm surprised you _don't_ believe it's Jason." Dami paused, typing something on his laptop. As silence filled their conversation Richard sighed, not only have they been at this for months with no real leads, but even during his time with the Titan's, Red-X's identity was never revealed.

Jason was in and out of their lives so much in the past. His loyalties were constantly changing, his identity shifting as quickly as his mood. The last time they saw him, Barbara was shot, which caused Damian to become so obsessed with finding him.

"Damian, don't obsess over this. Jason is... a lost cause. He may be our brother but-"

"He's not my brother." Damian spat.

"Well I am, and I'm telling you if you don't find him soon. We are dropping this case." He briefly looked at the screen, "Don't do anything dangerous Dami. I know it's hard, but you-we have to let this go."

"Yeah." Damian abruptly ended their call before Richard could get another word in.

"One day at a time" He breathed. He stepped on the gas, letting the roar of his engine drown out his thoughts.


	4. Chapter 4

"Dick Grayson!"

"Shh! Can you not be so loud? We still have customers here," Rachel replied, moving around her eccentric boss to buss another table.

"Yes! Thanks to you!" Ryu held up her phone showing Rachel some gossipy website where a picture of her and Richard had been posted. For a moment she did remember seeing people taking pictures of Richard as he was talking with her, but she had no idea it was "front page" material. It was Sunday afternoon and the cafe was in the middle of their afternoon rush. When they called Rachel in because they were low on staff, she had no idea they meant their full staff wasn't enough equal to the ratio of guests piling in. The amount of people wanting tea and biscuits had doubled since earlier this week and apparently her date with Richard was the reason for this.

Rachel rolled her eyes, "That doesn't mean anything." She picked up a few empty tea cups and placed them in the large plastic bin she was holding.

"Of course it does! Business is booming!" Ryu beamed, her short platinum blonde hair bouncing with ecstatic enthusiasm. Rachel glanced around at the fully booked cafe and suddenly felt way too claustrophobic. She tried to ignore it and push through to the next table and began picking up more dishes. She figured for Ryu, a young business owner only four years older than herself, would think any type of publicity was good publicity. But that doesn't mean Rachel also had to enjoy the attention.

"Well, we will be yesterdays news by next week so soak it up while you can." Rachel continued down the row of empty tables, picking up the crumpled napkins and empty dishes. Ryu continued beside her, wiping down the tables and ordering her staff to start placing new guests in the booths.

"Oh I plan to" Ryu smiled, "irasshaimase!" She announced, waving to more of her guests that entered her tea shop.

"Welcome!" Rachel translated. After they finished cleaning the tables she turned to head back to the kitchen and noticed the line of people forming outside the cafe. And all because they wanted to eat at the same place as a Wayne, like that had any real significance. At least they were more focused on the venue and which side desert looked the most "aesthetic" and wasn't snapping any pictures of her. If Richard wasn't involved she was still invisible.

"Hold on I'm not done yet!" Ryu smiled, stopping shortly to make sure the outside tables were being attended to before following Rachel into the kitchen.

"I can't believe you're dating a Wayne and didn't tell me! I thought all you did for fun was knit and obsess over cross word puzzles!"

"It's crocheting actually" Rachel corrected.

"Minor details," Ryu waved. She propped herself up on the counter beside a tray of cooling cookies and popped a small vanilla square in her mouth. "How long have you been dating? When did you two even meet?"

Rachel placed the bin of dirty dishes on a shiny metal counter top and began unloading them into the dishwasher. "We met at Gotham Academy okay?"

"I thought you went to school in San Fransisco?"

Rachel paused, "Oh-y yeah I did. But I got a scholarship for the academy and moved here senior year" She lied.

Once she finished putting the dishes away and starting the machine to clean them, she dried her hands and walked over to the large metallic refrigerator. "Oh" Ryu shrugged. "Makes sense, so you guys were like high school sweethearts or something?"

"No!" Rachel laughed thinking how ridiculous that sounded. Even if she truly did go to school with Dick that role would have probably gone to someone like Starfire. Raven would have been more of the loner, mysterious goth type that somehow attracted the sweetheart jock. She opened the fridge and took out a container of fresh honey sticks with another filled with sugar cubes. "And honestly, we're just taking things slowly right now."

"So you're dating" Ryu snickered. She hopped down from the counter letting the head baker know to add a bit more extract to the vanilla batter as Rachel closed the refrigerator. Her purple-haired employee rolled her eyes, secretly wishing they could change the subject. "Why do I even put up with you?"

"Because I gave you a job" Ryu laughed, placing her hands on her slender hips.

Rachel paused before heading out of the kitchen and looked to Ryu, the only person she had close to a friend here in Gotham. "Being serious for a moment, we just kind of ran into each other and decided to get lunch Wednesday afternoon, I wasn't thinking it would turn into all of this."

"I get it." Ryu began, noticing how Rachel was beginning to feel uncomfortable with all this doting attention. "To you he's just an old friend, someone to rekindle a relationship with?"

"Exactly," Rachel breathed. "I don't know what to consider us right now."

They agreed to be more than friends but that didn't mean the transition to lovers would be seamless, especially considering how complex their double lives were. She walked back out to the front of the restaurant and began refilling the honey sticks and sugar cubes into their respective containers as Ryu followed behind her with clean napkins folded into intricate origami designs.

"To you he's just an old friend but realize, to the rest of the world he's, _a walking Adonis_ " Ryu swooned.

"What?" Rachel chuckled, glancing up at her boss in disbelief. "Please control your hormones"

"I mean you'd tell me if you've seen him shirtless right?" Rachel actively ignored that question and moved to the next table. Not only was she a tad bit uncomfortable thinking of Richard..in that way, but she could literally feel Ryu's emotional desire for him, which added another layer of discomfort only an empath would understand.

For several hours they were working non stop to get people severed and satisfied. Rachel was certainly glad their hours were shorter on Sunday's and they were finally nearing their eight o'clock closing time. The cafe was calm as there were only few people left enjoying nightly drinks and other pastries. Rachel decided to man behind the bar and take a small break, reliving her aching feet. Sitting down behind the long, black marble counter top she pulled out her phone at the sign of it vibrating.

 _"Hey Rae,"_ A small smile curved at the edge of her lips as she read the text.

 _"Wait, It's almost 8, aren't you...'patrolling' right now?"_ Rachel broke away from her phone conversation and waved goodnight to a pair as they existed the tea shop, leaving only a few stragglers left before they closed for the night.

 _"If by patrolling you mean sitting on top of Ryu's waiting for you to get off work then yes, I am."_ She gasped, glancing up at the ceiling then immediately looking down before anyone noticed. Rachel smirked as she imaged Dick sitting on the roof in that slick spandex suit, texting her with that stupidly cute grin on his face.

 _"Gotham criminal free tonight, BoyWonder?"_ She texted back.

_"Damian's on watch, besides I wanted to talk to you. I figured after hours would be best."_

She huffed, _"I'm glad, we were swarmed by people today"_

_"I'm so sorry about that, but you should be happy to know I won't be moving into the office space next door."_

She glanced up, looking at the empty building across the street and for a moment felt a little somber about his decision. She knew Richard was a busy man and that wasn't technically his fault, but this text conversation was the first time they talked since Wednesday. She didn't really count his brief good morning and good bye Friday afternoon because he knew he wouldn't have time to see her in person and just wanted to exchange phone numbers. She was hoping if he worked next door, she'd at least be able to see him more.

_"That's too bad, I won't be able to see you in action"_

_"Trust me, there's more action when I'm not in a three piece suit ;)"_

Raven blushed, rereading his text and the multiple connotations it could mean. As Ryu walked behind the counter she snapped her phone closed and stuffed it back into her pocket.

"What?" Ryu paused, noticing how stiff her friend was. "You're allowed to text Rachel, unless..." Her eyes sparkled deviously, "was that him?"

"No." Rachel looked away.

Ryu giggled, leaning against the liquor counter. "Of course it was, I'm probably the only other contact in your phone." Ignoring how right she was, Rachel turned to the sound of the cafe bell ringing, signaling a new customer had walked in.

She looked up with a signature 'customer service' smile, "Hi, Welcome to Ry-" She froze.

Her voice seeming to shy away from the figure approaching the counter. The man clad in black strolled across the floor, making a beeline to the empty bar in long confident strides. He was tall and lean, sharp broad shoulders just as firm as his jawline. His hair was jet black and cut short on the sides leaving only the top part long and tousled. Rachel stilled as he sat down in the bar stool directly in front of her and kindly asked for a menu.

"Sure" She breathed, unable to break away from his piercing gaze that hadn't left her face since the moment he walked in. Even as he took the menu from her his gaze remained locked on her face.

"Thank you," He smirked, looking down at the laminated menu giving Rachel a moment to catch her breath. His sharp eyes were some how so familiar...

Glancing over at Ryu they both had the exact same puzzling look on their face. He wasn't their usual customers that they knew on a first name basis nor was he one of their new, phone toting teenage customers, snapping pictures of everything they ate.

"hmm" He dragged his left hand across his jaw, a small black lock of hair falling in front of his face. "What do you recommend? I'm just making a quick stop, heard this place was worth its cup." He looked up at Rachel and offered a crooked smile.

She blinked unable to find a verbal response fast enough, the dormant part of her brain harboring her demonic powers was going haywire. His voice was deep and slightly raspy, laced with something Raven could only describe as _sinful._ His whole body radiated this aura that seemed to snake its way into her consciousness and tug on memories she had long forgotten. Shattered and broken bits she wasn't even sure how to piece together. Ryu slightly jabbed her side, breaking Raven out of whatever trance she was under.

"umm, I-I personally like Black Earl Grey tea, it doesn't require a lot of sugar and-it pairs well with our chocolate citrus biscuits." Raven finished her sentence and realized just how nervous she was, but she didn't understand why. He wasn't necessarily intimidating, not like their usual highly paid clients who'd throw a drink at her face if it didn't have soy milk or "two scoops of foam". Even the jittery nerves Richard gave her was nothing compared to this.

"Then I'll have that," He held that prim smile on his face and as he handed back the menu Rachel noticed the subtle drag of his front teeth across his bottom lip.

"Of course" She muttered, quickly walking into the back kitchen to prepare his tea. As soon as the door closed she exhaled a huge breath and shook her head hoping to unscramble her brain. No, this wasn't the same feeling she got when she was with Richard, but this guy, whoever he is, is able to rile up her emotions like Richard can. And it seemed like he wasn't even trying.

A few moments later Ryu walked in the room and grabbed the house keys. She paused by the door looking over at Rachel, "Is it just me or was he a little...?"

"Yeah," Rachel replied. She couldn't quite put her finger on it but he was...intriguing, and a part of her thought this as a bad thing.

"Jeez Rachel, save some guys for the rest of us." Ryu teased. Raven faked a laugh, If only that were the case.

"I'm gonna start closing up shop, think you can wrap his order up fast?"

She nodded, steeping his tea and opening the cupboard for a small plate. Ryu left and as Raven listened to the click of her heels in the distance she began reminiscing again. What was it about that guy that was so...haunting? She hadn't felt this unbalanced since her night with Richard a few days ago, these bubbling emotions that began to feel so overwhelming. And triggered by a total stranger seemed too unlikely to be true.

As she poured his tea, and placed several biscuits on his plate, she felt determined to question him. Try to spark up a casual conversation to probe this mysterious guy of whatever intentions he might have with her, assuming she wasn't overthinking all of this. Dick might have seen this guy walk in, after the cafe closes maybe she'll ask him if he thought something looked off.

Her phone vibrated and she realized she never replied back to his text from earlier.

 _"Something came up, I gotta go, I'll catch up with you later tonight if I can...I'm sorry"_ Or maybe she won't ask him. Frowning, she shoved her phone back into her pocket.

Yeah, he did have more action outside of his business suits, because they were always replaced with a sleek neoprene uniform. She wished she was surprised but Dick had always been like this, so work oriented, she guessed as his friend that never seemed like that big of an issue, but being a girlfriend added more to the dynamic somehow, like she was supposed to be one of his priorities, which felt kind of strange. She would never be too selfish to ask him to put her in front of his family or heroism, hell not even in the same category of importance, but was it worth being strung along for the ride?

Pushing those thoughts aside she walked out of the kitchen and panned the room to see that not only was the cafe empty of guests, but so was the bar stool her mysterious customer sat in. It was almost as if he was never there in the first place and she just imagined the whole encounter. The only evidence she didn't fabricate this mystery man was the folded up bills for his untouched meal.

Raven placed his order down on the counter and picked up the money he left behind. She couldn't deny the goosebumps that lined the skin of her arms, similar to the way she'd feel whenever she used her powers.

Maybe he was a meta-human too? That would possibly explain her reaction?

"Hey Rachel? You still need a ride home?"

She broke out of her train of thought and looked up to see Ryu approaching her with the master keys and a bag of trash in her opposite hand. When she saw her employee holding the money she clicked her teeth and rolled her eyes.

"At least this 'dine and ditch' left money right?"

"Yeah" Rachel sighed, almost as if the tea wasn't what he really needed. She handed Ryu the bills in exchange for the trash she offered to take out and they both finished closing up. Heading home, Ryu chatted Raven's ear off the entire time, but she just sat in the passengers seat silently listening.


	5. Chapter 5

Raven's hands were dripping in a black inky substance that stained everything in it's tracks. The line of vaseline on her forehead and ears stopped the liquid from dripping onto her face, although now she deeply regretted buying cheap gloves. It seeped right threw the thin latex and stained her pale hands.

Her hair was completely coated in a black dye, ridding the strands of any trace of violet hues. After an hour of letting it soak, she removed the plastic cap over her head and bent down over the side of the tub, placing her head under the faucet. She rinsed the dye out, watching as the black mixed with the cold water and swirled down the drain. It had been a while since she dyed her hair and even longer since she let it grow out this long. Most people believed her purple locks wasn't natural, as they should, and that she was just a goddess at touching up her roots.

She chuckled, thinking back on how much Ryu would stress over her brown roots that began to grow in every two weeks. How she'd randomly start sporting hats and headbands until she made an appointment with her hair dresser. Raven never had to worry about maintenance but she figured a little change would be nice and black would be less ostentatious anyway. Once she finished and spent another ten minutes generously washing her stained hands she combed through her hair letting it air dry.

Black as a ravens' feather, she smirked. Although the shade did make her look slightly more pale and she really didn't need another excuse for Ryu to persuade her to get out more. Ignoring that factor she liked the outcome of her new hair style and finished it off with a middle part and a small trim of the ends.

She walked out into her living room in an oversized tee, boy shorts, and cosy socks. It was a long and somewhat stressful day, filled with mixed emotions and she was relieved to finally be home and in her own space. As much as she enjoyed working for Ryu, an introverts job it was not and she desperately needed to be with herself and recharge. Flipping through channels on the TV she settled with a movie to play, really only to serve as background noise and opened her laptop to begin her second job.

After about forty-five minutes of editing online articles and generating crosswords puzzles a knock on her door sounded. She opened it to the smell of a medium pepperoni, spinach, and black olive pizza. Rachel usually cooked at home, but with the day she's had she needed to treat her self to some junk food. As she closed the door she felt a small gust of wind brush along her back and a smile formed on her face.

"You know I do have a front door."

He laughed, "Yeah, but what's the fun in that?" She could hear that boyish smile in his voice and it made her toes curl. She turned around meeting his sharp blue eyes as he pulled off his mask.

"Your hair," Richard smiled.

"Yeah," She blushed, running her fingers through the ends wondering why his opinion of it mattered to her. He stepped forward closing the gap between them leaving only the pizza box as a divider, "I like it, it suits you."

"Thanks," There was a small pause as she gazed at him thinking whether or not it was appropriate to greet him with a kiss, thinking how badly she wanted to. Raven then realized that she was so focused on his lips that she completely ignored his hand outstretched towards her.

"What's-" Before she could finish her sentence he swapped the pizza box for whatever he was holding and sauntered into her living room. He opened the box and stole a steaming hot slice, eagerly taking a large bite.

"You put spinach on your pizza?!" Richard exclaimed as he gulped it down. She found it comically intriguing how casual he acted whilst still dressed like a dark heroic crusader.

"You opened the box, took a bite of a slice, and didn't look to see what was on it?" He only shrugged continuing to eat her pizza. Rachel joined him on her couch and opened her palm to see a pair of silver keys on a single O-ring.

"What are these for?" She asked, hoping to Azar there wasn't a new car parked outside with her name on it.

Dick turned to Rachel with an expression of mixed excitement. "I'm sorry I had to leave Ryu's earlier today, I really wanted to talk to you."

"About?" She prompted, glancing down at the keys again anxiously.

"They are to my old place" He continued and she began to feel like there was something he was nervous to tell her. "I'm almost moved in but I just gotta pack up a few things back in Jump."

"Oh, okay" She voiced, starting to see where this conversation was heading. She moved to put the keys down on her coffee table but he lightly cupped her hands in his, feeling like he'd loose her if he didn't, "And I was hoping you'd come with me."

There was a long pause that seemed to stretch on for a few minutes as Rachel processed his words. "You...want me to go to back to Jump City?"

"Yes," He scooted closer to her, placing her hands in his lap. "we could see our old town. Reminisce on good times. Make some new memories"

She pulled her hands out of his and turned her gaze toward the movie on the TV screen. "I think we have different views on how pleasant those old times were."

Richard frowned, "Come on Rae, they weren't all bad," Dick had his fair share of demons back in Jump City, and the ones he remembered being the hardest to overcome wouldn't have been possible without Raven and the rest of his team. Now when he walked through those streets, past the old pizza shop, the vacant island the tower once stood. He was reminded of the fondest of memories, a sweet gleeful nostalgia that was his teenage years. He wanted that for Raven too, but he knew how hard it was to bury the bad memories and keep them there.

She didn't reply and he watched as she lightly brushed her finger tips over the red jewel around her neck and hastily realized Jump was the place they defeated Trigon. Going back might trigger all types of emotions Raven probably wanted to avoid. He noticed the scars on her arms and legs the night he visited her but never said anything about them. They were so faint you had to look very closely to see them in the first place, and obviously he knew she didn't need to be reminded of them.

"But if it's still too much for you we don't have to go! The city really has changed a lot, I mean as much as it gets blown up there's gotta be remodels constantly and..." He stopped himself before he rambled on for too long. "But there are still remnants of what we use to have."

Raven brushed her thumb over the top of his hand and gave him a sympathetic smile, "It's okay, I'm not worried about being reminded of my father." She toyed with the small chain around her neck,"Even now I'm never truly away from him."

"You can still hear him?" Dick asked.

"Yes, but it's become very faint. Like a thrumming whisper in the back of my head." She was quiet for a moment as if still in thought, remembering being with the Titans' and _Robin_.

"You're right, not all of my memories are bad." She looked up at him earnestly and he knew exactly what she was thinking of. She placed her hand on his thigh as they both leaned forward sharing a silent kiss. After a few more soft nips and mingling of tongues they parted, slightly breathless and his courage to persuade her to go with him started to come back.

"I've been so busy lately and I want to make it up to you. We'll have a mini weekend just the two of us, no jobs, no suits, and I'll compensate with food and amenities for your manual labor." He smiled that irresistible grin and she was admittedly putty in his hands, but before she agreed she had to put to rest a few concerns.

"What about...everyone else? I don't want to be recognized."

"You mean the team?" He asked.

"Or just anyone we'd know" She leaned back against her couch cushions hugging her legs to her chest.

"Hmm well, Star went back to Tamaran, they needed their queen, someone to help them rebuild their empire Blackfire destroyed. Cyborg is with the league, no surprise there and Beast Boy is with The Doom Patrol, which was good for him." Richard shrugged, and she noticed he didn't seem exactly pleased to be sharing this with her. In his perfect world they'd still be a team.

"As for everyone else, I'd casually run into them time to time, but again I'm going to be Richard Grayson the entire time. No one will know who I am."

She hummed skeptically and poked the blue bird on his chest. He lifted his hand in the air with three fingers extended. "Scouts Honor."

Raven thought for a moment, ignoring how persuasive he was. Maybe going back might do her some good and Richard hanging up his suit for a few days meant he was serious about this too. It wasn't the memories of her father that worried her, she battled those demons long ago. It was the reminder of the part of herself she left behind. At times she had some doubts and 'what if' moments that abandoning her powers wasn't the smartest idea. And going back to the time machine that is Jump City might prove those thoughts horribly right. Ultimately there was only one way to find out.

"Rae? You okay?" He asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah," She breathed, slightly shaking her head. She looked up at him and offered a small reassuring smirk.

"Tell me what you're thinking" He replied.

She cocked her head to the side in surprise. He had grown so familiar with her to know when she was keeping something from him, especially when it was troubling her. Raven locked eyes with his, slightly debating with herself as to whether or not she should be honest and tell him. The reason she was so hesitant was because she knew exactly what he would say, and she didn't want to hear it.

"It's just that...my powers are-" The com-link on Richard's wrist began to signal an alert and he leapt to his feet tapping his forearm for the coordinates. "Shit I'm sorry, I have to go."

Rachel stood from her couch and followed behind him as he made his way to her balcony. "I'll go Richard, I'll go with you to Jump City" She spoke hastily before he slipped away again.

He turned around and smiled, placing a quick kiss to her lips, his excitement radiating from him like bolts of electricity that tingled against her mouth. "I'll text you as soon as I can" he replied, before disappearing into the night.

The slight hint of garlic on his tongue reminded her of the pizza she still had waiting for her and she turned around observing her empty living room. The TV blaring the ending credits, her vacant lap top waiting for her to continue her edits, her clock that reminded her how late it was and that she had a morning shift tomorrow. And just like that her life went back to the normal and for the first time in a long time, she felt a sense of longing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your feedback thus far! Chapter five is short only because mystery guy needed a chapter all on his own. Which luckily is already completed, once I hit my quota of 4 reviews I will post chapter six!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies, I updated this story on FF.Net and forgot to update Archive!

Monday morning about an hour into the shop opening Rachel walked out of the kitchen with a steaming cup of tea and chocolate croissant in hand. She sat at a small table by the large windows outlooking downtown and enjoyed the silence of the city beginning to wake up. At 7 am this time of year the sun would rise, painting the sky in orange yellow hues, which always looked so peaceful and serene.

She waved to their usual customers who came in for a cup and a quick breakfast before work. She watched as people jogged by with their dogs on leashes or children in strollers. Morning shifts were always the easiest, mostly because she and her staff had to deal with less people and the majority of guests were too tired to be picky about what they ordered and the specifics of how it should be prepared. As more guests came in and out she sipped her tea and pulled out her phone. Flipping it up she typed on the small key pad a good morning text to Richard to which he replied within just a few minutes. At least he wasn't the type to text back hours later, she smirked.

Richard's day consisted of hiring colleagues to assist him in this new division of Gotham's police force. Apparently he wasn't the only one who thought it a good idea heroes work with the government as opposed to just being vigilantes. He told her Barbara was already on board and he had to get through a few more interviews this morning. Then after that he was moving his furniture from Wayne manor and into his new place. Rachel was impressed, he was pretty organized for a guy with so many obligations to juggle, but she figured he was use to the responsibility.

All she had planned was working till about 1pm, grocery shopping, then heading home to work her second job. She never really had many plans other than working and household obligations. Sometimes she enjoyed picking up random hobbies like crocheting or heading to the library for a new book to read. She went out for drinks with Ryu maybe a few times and quickly realized bars and clubs wasn't her scene. She never really needed anything more than simplicity, her life in earlier years was anything but simple, the change was refreshing.

It was only when she was with Richard did she feel that sense of nostalgia. Well, Richard and now that guy from last night, whoever he was. As they continued their conversation it was planned that their little vacation/moving day was to be during the weekend when Rachel had those days off. She finished her tea and croissant and texted Dick that she'd see him later, even though the day was still young and his other obligations might make a change in their plans. She gathered her empty cup and plate and went into the back to wash them off.

"Morning," She voiced as one of the bakers clocked in and she realized it was almost 8:30, her breakfast break was officially over. She pulled on a black apron, grabbed a few menus, a memo pad and walked out of the kitchen. Flipping open to a blank page she wrote the date at the top right corner of the notebook and-

"Thank you so much."

She looked up at the sound of his voice and froze in the middle of the walk way. The pen in her hand slipped from the paper and hit the floor barley making a sound. It was him...Her nameless guy from last night. She blinked a few times, just to make sure she wasn't hallucinating and sure enough as her eyes opened and closed he didn't vanish. He remained taking his seat at a small table while accepting a menu from their server Veronica.

Raven quickly turned around, trying not to draw attention to herself and hastily walked away. He was one of four customers in the cafe at the moment and would have surly noticed her standing in the walk way. He wasn't looking for her, nor did he seem to be concerned if she were there or not, but she still felt the urge to evade his gaze. Almost as if to avoid slipping into another trance like she had done last night. She quickly went into the back kitchen and as the door shut she pressed against it taking a deep breath.

After a few seconds of hesitation she turned around and gazed out of the circular window in the door. She watched as Veronica jotted down his order, her eyelashes batting several times as she smiled bashfully at him. Rachel scoffed, shifting her attention from her flirtatious coworker to him. Now that it was earlier in the day she could get a better idea of how he looked. He was very rugged but almost purposely so, like how Dick enjoyed his clean cut aesthetic this guy seemed comfortably rough around the edges. His attire was still that signature black with the exception of a red scarf wrapped around his neck.

Raven's shoulders slumped, and admittedly he was...attractive. She immediately erased that thought and turned back around. That wasn't the reason she was interested in him, he just had this way of getting to her. She peeled her back off the door as Veronica pushed it open to begin preparing his order. Raven felt slightly foolish for hiding in the first place, but she really didn't want to have a repeat of last night. She walked to the supply cupboard and began folding napkins as a lame attempt to keep herself occupied while her employee finished.

Now was her chance to talk to him that is, if she could handle it. Even now she could feel the spark of her powers crawl under her skin and she felt a wave of recollection; almost like she knew him, or that she should know him. She tried her hardest last night to remember, but this guy was a complete stranger. This was becoming so frustrating that she thought about maybe bringing it up to Dick. She was going to last night but he left so quickly she didn't get the chance. Although the topic of interest being another guy might not turn out to be a pleasant conversation. Taking a deep breath she exhaled her nerves and made it her new mission to find out whatever she could about him. There was no way him being here again was a coincidence.

"I'll take it Veronica!" She called as the waitress headed out of the kitchen. The woman paused looking slightly confused but not enough to question her assistant manager and handed her his order. Black tea and chocolate citrus biscuits, the exact thing she recommended he'd get the evening before, How ironic, she thought.

Raven walked towards his table, her heart beating rapidly as her boot heels clicked along the titled floor. She began monitoring her breathing, similar to when she would meditate thinking it would help her nerves. It didn't, not even in the slightest. She eyed the tea rippling in her trembling hand and began walking a bit faster in hopes she didn't drop it. He was looking down, thumbing through apps on his phone when she approached him.

"Here you go, assuming you're planning on eating it this time." His head shot up the moment he realized it was her and a sly smile spread across his face eliciting goosebumps up her arms.

He chuckled and the waves of his voice vibrated against her chest. "I'm sorry about that, I guess I underestimated how much time I had." He put his phone away in his jacket pocket as if to rid himself of anything that would distract him from her.

"The money I left covered the tab right?"

"Yes, it did but why the rush?" She asked, "You came in as the shop was closing, but we wouldn't have just kick you out" He raised a curious brow at her, "Are all the employees here so inquisitive?"

"Sorry!" she hastily apologized. Asking him so bluntly was instantly a red flag, she needed to back track a little. "I don't mean to be so nosey"

"Don't worry about it" He snickered, seeming rather amused by her uneasiness. There was a pause as Raven could feel him eyeing her up and down again and the way his gaze was so piercing left her a bit vulnerable. However, it wasn't in a perverted way, it was like he was studying her, every little nuance.

"And I just had family obligations," He replied smoothly, almost as if he didn't mind her prying. He leaned forward and took his plate and cup from her hands and placed them on the table. As the warmth of his finger tips met hers she instantly pulled her hands away and cupped them behind her back. "Shoot" she cursed, kicking herself as she realized she forgot to give him his food and was just stupidly standing there holding it. Gathering her fleeting confidence she remained where she was, determined to start a conversation.

"But you are back here today," She continued, watching as he blew on his tea so that it was warm enough to drink.

"I wanted to come back and try a cup. Apparently I missed out on such a popular place." He silently took a sip as Raven pondered for a moment. She couldn't tell if it was that permanent sultry look on his face or the subtle indulgent tone in his voice that made her think he was teasing her. Like he was only playing along with this useless banter because he knew she was tiptoeing around what her true intentions were. Obviously he was no stranger to flirting as she observed earlier with Veronica but there was something else there. He seemed to be intrigued by this facade she tried to hold up and wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. Suddenly, she felt like interrogating him was a bad idea.

"Great, well let me know if you need anything." She turned and began walking away.

"Rachel's your name right?" He called after her.

She stopped, her heart skipping a beat in it's frantic pace. Slowly she turned around, eyeing him skeptically. "How did you know that?"

He smiled and pointed to her chest, "Your name tag"

"Right," She slapped her hand over the breast where the tag was pinned and rolled her eyes, wishing she could just vanish from this entire situation. He was doing it again, mocking her cautiousness.

"Do you want to sit down for a bit?" He gestured to the seat across from him and looked back up at her with an expression that knew she wanted an actual conversation. What worried her was that he seemed to want one as well.

"Oh, I...I can't" Rachel lifted up her memo pad as a sign that she was still on the job and really shouldn't be fraternizing with her guests.

He held up his wrist glancing down at a watch Rachel knew was expensive and hummed, "It's still pretty early, you can spare a few minutes"

He titled his head to the side gazing up at her and it was then that she caught a small glint of light reflecting off of his eyes. His deep emerald green eyes that seemed to be glass windows shielding a cavern of secrets. But he didn't seem to want to be hiding them from her though, as best as she could tell she was just afraid to ask. By the way he carried himself he seemed like a man with a lot of experience even though he looked so young, possibly just a few years older than her. But why was he so familiar, she thought,

Rachel looked around the cafe and saw that the other customers were already eating and drinking comfortably while Veronica stood by the front desk waiting for more people to file in. They weren't exactly busy so against her better judgement she slid into the seat across from him and set down her pin and notepad.

"A few minutes" She voiced. He only nodded taking a bite of one of the biscuits.

"Hmm, I think Key lime would be a good addition. What do you think?"

"Huh?" She blinked, realizing she blanked out on whatever he just said. Internally she was putting together a string of questions she could ask him that wouldn't be too intruding.

"Key lime biscuits would be a good addition," He repeated, eating an orange flavored one. He seemed not to have noticed how weird she was acting, or maybe he did and just chose to ignore it.

"I'll let Ryu know." She replied, truthfully growing a tad impatient to continue beating around the bush anymore. "I'm sorry if I'm being a bit rude. It's just that...You seem very familiar."

His eyes perked, "Really?"

"Yes, Are you new here to Gotham? If you don't mind me asking."

He finished chewing before he spoke. "No," He swept the crumbs from his hands onto his plate and grabbed a napkin to wipe his mouth. "I've been here plenty of times." Rachel couldn't help but notice his rather peculiar etiquette. Adding that observation to the fact that his watch was an expensive brand and his phone the latest model, she didn't need much other evidence to know he was well endowed. Interestingly enough, he just didn't dress like he was, granted his attire was sleek but not noticeably flashy like something Dick would wear.

"What about yourself?...If you don't mind me asking?"

She couldn't help but blush at the playful tone in his raspy voice. "Well, I wasn't born here but wouldn't exactly say I'm a native." She shrugged. Rachel didn't want to tell him anything too specific, mostly because she didn't trust him and the purpose of this conversation was to dig up information about himself not her own.

"So you have family here?" She asked.

"Yes, I visit from time to time. But it doesn't take long before they're shooing me away again."

"Why is that?" she asked, and for a moment he seemed to be pondering if she was just a little too invested in him.

Oops, she realized maybe that was too personal of a question. He seemed to agree and completely disregarded answering it.

"Hmm," His voice dropped an octave lower as he hummed and she couldn't help but shiver under the tone. That jet black lock of hair falling in front of his face felt almost intentionally provocative. "You said I looked familiar right." He put his elbows on the table, lacing his fingers together and leaned dangerously close to her. "Who do I remind you of?"

Their faces were only a few inches apart from one another and yet she didn't move. As his voice echoed in her ears, Raven's eyes widened. She searched through the dark recesses of her mind and what she found was the image of his eyes beginning to form. But strangely if they were blue, a crisp sapphire blue, just like-Richard's eyes, she thought.

"Oh" She gasped and he smiled, knowing she found the answer.

"Rachel!" She looked over to see Ryu hailing her from the door that lead in to the kitchen. She immediately got up from the booth and grabbed her note pad, "Seems our few minutes are up" He sighed.

She only nodded feeling slightly like a kid that just got caught sneaking out of detention and began walking toward Ryu who didn't look entirely pleased. "It was nice meeting you Rachel."

"Likewise" She muttered blankly.

As she stepped into the kitchen she prepared herself for one of Ryu's lectures. "I know you aren't exactly thrilled to have a celebrity boyfriend but switching up on guys isn't gonna solve that problem."

"I know I shouldn't have been...wait what?" Rachel paused, realizing this conversation was not anywhere close to what she thought it would be.

"Um, were you not just abandoning your post to chat up the guy from last night?" Ryu pointed towards the door before crossing her arms over her chest.

"No! Well, yes but it's not what it looks like," Rachel replied.

"Ha! If I had a dime for every time I've heard that." Ryu opened the oven and took out a fresh batch of cookies. Rachel helped her by closing the oven door as she carried the tray over to the cooling racks.

"I'm serious, I hardly know him. I don't know him! I was just-"

"Getting to know him," Ryu cocked her hip to the side as Rachel finally saw the situation from her perspective. Okay, it looked pretty bad. Ryu walked up to her with her palms open in an honest gesture, "Look I'm not gonna tell you how to run your dating life but-"

"Ryu I'm with Richard," Rachel interrupted, her tone completely serious now.

"Okay I'm just saying, from what I saw you seemed interested. It was like...you couldn't take your eyes off of him."

"Honestly it wasn't like that. I don't even know the guys name!" She gasped,"fuck! I don't even know his name!" How the hell did she get through an entire conversation with him and completely forget to ask him his name!? She looked through the porthole window in the door and saw that his seat was empty, her opportunity gone.

Ryu laughed, "Okay. Maybe I am getting the wrong idea, or you're just terrible at flirting."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Wanted to put a disclaimer for this chapter because subjects talked about might be triggering for some people. Mentions of suicide and rape.)

It was about 3pm Thursday evening and Rachel had just finished packing her things for their trip to Jump City. She was dressed comfortably in a pair of black leggings and an oversized cropped knit sweater. Dick said their drive would be a few hours and by the time they got there they'd most likely start moving things tomorrow, so she wanted to dress for bed to avoid having to do so when they got to his place.

She double checked her duffel bag, making sure her laptop, phone charger, tooth brush, and other important essentials were in place when she heard a car horn blare from outside. Zipping it up, she threw on some comfortable shoes, locked her door and headed out. Walking through the sliding doors of her apartment building she saw Dick parked out front. Surprisingly his sleek sports car was reverted to a large, black truck with a medium sized u-haul hooked onto the back of it. He hopped out and jogged over to her and she muffled a laugh at his attire. A leather jacket, dark blue cotton V-neck, a pair of black joggers pants that tapered at his ankles and sleek running shoes. Her eyes lingered on his toned biceps and firm pectorals stretching out the fabric of his shirt and she wondered if he purposely wanted it to be so form fitting, either way she didn't mind the view in the slightest.

"You look so, casual" She snickered. He smiled excitedly, pleased she noticed his attempt at being less extravagant. "You ready to go?"

"Yes," She handed him her bag and he placed it in the small back seat of his truck. Opening the passenger door he helped her climb inside before running around the hood of the car and hopping in himself. She could tell how happy he was and it admittedly put her in a better mood as well.

As they entered Jump City it was around 6pm and the sun was already beginning to set over the town. Richard noticed her withdraw from their conversation and he began to feel a little anxious. His eyes jumped from the street to her face briefly as he tried to read her mixed expression. Raven just sat beside him quietly, her eyes scanning over every street sign and building they passed, seemingly just reminiscing.

They drove passed the old pizza place and Raven scoffed, "Wow, that Pizza Corner hasn't changed a bit." It was still that run down building with the patio roof shaped like a pizza slice. She could still remember the smell of heavy garlic they peppered over the crust and cheese you could stretch miles long. As the crowd of people walked to and from the restaurant she could tell it was still a popular place.

Richard's anxiety eased as he noticed the lighthearted tone in her voice, "Yeah, if you'd like we could stop by sometime this weekend?"

She nodded in agreement then turned her attention back to the road slightly watching flashes of her memories whip by. They continued to drive further toward the outskirts of town near the lake that opened up to the Atlantic. The path they were on began to look very familiar and Raven sat up in disbelief. She cupped her hand over her eyes and peered deeply into the night, desperately trying to find the remnant of her past across the water.

"You won't be able to see it right now," Richard replied, noticing she was searching for the Tower. It was too foggy and dark to see that far out into the lake and the Tower itself was no longer there.

"We tore it down a couple of years ago, but the island is still there."

"Really?" She asked, feeling a little somber her first real home was gone, the first place she ever felt truly safe.

"But it's not all bad, the lair of young justice is underground, beneath the water. Much less noticeable than a giant building in the middle of the lake" he chuckled.

Raven looked over at him curiously, "Young Justice?"

Richard smirked as he steered down the road. "We have a lot of catching up to do."

They headed up a small hillside and came to a small gated community of town homes. Rachel was surprised Dick didn't live in some secluded area in Jump like she'd imaged, considering Wayne Manor wasn't technically in the city of Gotham but rather just outside of it on their own private acres. She watched as he typed in a security code, then once that cleared he also had to show a housing ID to a rather sophisticated computer system in order to unlock the entrance.

As he drove down the road to his house he could tell Rachel was silently questioning everything but was too modest to ask.

"Just a community of wealthy people" He began,

"You say that like you're not one." Rachel smirked.

"Anyway," He threw her a playful glance, "It was quiet here, I had a lot of privacy and it was fortified, which was what Bruce wanted. The majority of my neighbors are judges, senators, law enforcement, people who also value their safety and privacy."

The perfect place for him to blend in, She thought, and honestly it would be less suspicious if he didn't live privately. Dick pulled into the drive way and they both hopped out, Rachel grabbing her things from the back seat as Richard greeted one of his neighbors. An elderly woman with white hair and a kind smile, "Evening detective Grayson"

"Evening to you as well," He smiled before unlocking his door and letting Raven inside first.

"Detective Grayson," Raven repeated, eyeing him playfully as she stepped through the threshold of his home. "That has a nice ring to it."

Dick gave her a questioning glance, not entirely sure if she was teasing him or not.

"No really it does. Definitely much less conspicuous than Nightwing" She teased.

"I figured that'd be a dead giveaway on my badge." He flipped on the lights from the bottom of the stairs so that she wasn't walking around in the dark.

Raven paced through his house to see it was mostly empty as expected, which only in turn made it look larger. Tall walls painted a golden tan matched the shiny hardwood floor that glistened in a space she imaged to be his living room judging by the enormous fire place. Two large glass double doors opened into his backyard fully equipped with an open bar space, bonfire pit, pool and jacuzzi tub. Inside there was a winding metal stair case that lead to the second floor, two rooms on the ground floor and an enormous open kitchen shinning in stainless steel.

"What's left to unpack is my room, I have some things in there that I didn't want to leave up to the moving crew" Richard announced as he began jogging up the stairs.

"Makes sense." She followed him up and through the double doors that lead to his master bedroom. Although to Raven it looked more like a penthouse suite that was just vacant of most of the furniture. She walked over to the balcony, devoid of curtains revealing a beautiful view of the ocean and city lights flickering along the coast. She noticed Dick disappear through a walkway to her left and followed him into a closet the size of her living room. There were a few brown boxes on the floor and she opened one to see some of his clothes folded neatly inside. To the right of the closet entrance was an open bathroom equally as large in size with a jacuzzi tub, shower that had a large glass wall as a barrier, and marble counter space.

"No in-house theater?" She teased.

"Ah no sorry, that's actually in my other estate," Richard replied and although she knew he was joking that scenario could entirely be possible.

She noticed him reaching behind a shelf and walked over to see him typing a code into a touchscreen panel on the wall. Once he finished he placed his hand on the screen and the system unlocked.

"Over here," He voiced, grabbing her hand and taking a few steps away from the wall that began to rotate 360 degrees. Raven snickered at the thought of how "1960's Batcave" his closet reveal of some secret headquarters felt like. Once it stopped they walked through a small entry way to a room with black walls, neon lighting, control panels and gizmos of plenty.

In front of them was his Nightwing suit, propped up in a plexiglass case with all his weaponry adoring the walls.

Raven looked over at him dubiously, "I thought you were going to be Richard Grayson?"

"I have more than one suit." He quickly replied opening his palms in an effort to look innocent, "And this one is staying where it is until I pack it up."

Raven only shook her head, slightly amused.

He looked over her shoulder with a wistful expression, "Actually, I have a few more,"

She turned around to see his retired Robin costume in a glass case on the opposite wall. Black cape with yellow interior, red shirt with that signature R sewn to the chest, green gloves and pants to match. His platinum boa staff on the right of it, scuffed and bent from it's years of use. Silently she walked up to the glass and lightly placed her hand on it. She could see the fibers of the suit so worn down from age and yet she could still picture him in it perfectly, like it was only yesterday she last saw him wear it. A bubbly feeling of affection stirred in her stomach as memories of Robin and her together began to revisit the forefront of her mind.

Dick stood beside her and sighed, "Green tights," He chuckled, "what was I thinking?"

She looked up at him and couldn't help but laugh as well, "They looked good on you," He raised a brow at her sarcastic tone and couldn't tell if she was actually complimenting him or teasing again. Raven smirked and turned around to look at his other suit, his second identity, and realized how different it was from Robin.

"What made you change your name?" She asked.

He crossed his arms over his chest casually,"I didn't want to be associated with Batman anymore. Sure the Titan's made a name for ourselves but I was still the image of his sidekick, and as an adult I didn't like that feeling, being in his shadow." He paused for a moment like he was hesitant to say something else, his gaze deep in thought.

"Dick?" She placed her hand on his arm and he quickly brushed away his thoughts. "We should head out now,"

She followed him out of the room, silently wondering what she said to suddenly kill the mood. She didn't think asking him about his identity would cause a reaction like that. "Are we packing this up too? I assumed that was what you meant when you said you didn't want the movers touching it."

"Yes," He sealed the entrance and reentered the security code, "But Alfred will be here tomorrow to pick everything up."

"Oh," Raven stopped in place, Alfred...meaning she'd be meeting his family.

Richard stepped in front of her and cupped her chin in his hand, "Don't worrying about meeting Alfred or anyone in my family, They'll love you."

She didn't look very convinced and he kissed her forehead wanting to erase the worried lines on her face. Taking her hand he turned to start walk out his closet, "And to be honest you'd want to meet Alfred first before Bruce."

Her stomach dropped, "You want me to meet Bruce too?!"

"Only if you want to. I'm not going to rush us into anything." He replied and she suddenly felt very relieved.

"Although I'm sure Barbara will fight to meet you regardless if I say no," He added. Raven only shrugged, she'd met Batgirl before and a familiar face is better than a dark and brooding one like she'd image that of Bruce Wayne.

They walked back out into his room and it was then that she noticed the only thing left was his bed and her stomach jumped at the sight of it. Why did it take her till now to realize they'd be sleeping together?

"Make yourself at home," He said,"Well what's left of it."

She put her duffel bag down on the soft cushion and looked at the piece of furniture nervously. Obviously he didn't move his bed with the rest of his furniture because he didn't want them sleeping on the floor but Raven still felt a little sheepish. They were at this part of their relationship right? It wasn't technically the first time they've slept together and they were comfortably past the stage of kissing...and Raven wasn't opposed to doing more than that.

Dick pulled off his leather jacket and tossed it over a stack of boxes placed by his closet. Raven's heart sped up at the sight of his arms and back that looked perfectly sculpted as if Michelangelo personally had a hand in chiseling every firm curve of his muscles and athletic physique. She knew he was formally an acrobatic gymnast but maybe Ryu's comment about him looking like an adonis wasn't completely wrong.

"My T.V is gone, but we can throw on a movie from my laptop." He spoke, picking up a stack of boxes and placing them at the foot of his bed like a makeshift table top. Raven quickly looked away as he glanced up at her and Dick cocked his head to the side watching as she just stood there, staring at his bed awkwardly. "Raven?"

She nodded blankly, "Yeah I brought my laptop too."

Richard noticed her toying with her hands and how reluctant she was to look at him and it didn't take very long for him to put the pieces together. "Raven are you...nervous?"

"No" She quickly replied.

Richard couldn't help but stifle a smile at how completely oblivious he was to how awkward he made things. One weekend, just the two of them, alone in his house with very little to do to entertain themselves. No wonder Raven's mind pondered such interesting scenarios they could do to fill up that time. And if Dick were being honest, he was more than happy to indulge those thoughts.

"Because if you are you can tell me," He slowly began walking over to her, his face as smug as ever.

"Richard" She voiced, her tone warning him not to do anything funny. He continued to stalk up to her, his eyes lowering ever so slightly as his teeth grazed his bottom lip. Raven's skin seemed to ignite in flames at Richard's dark expression, how quickly that boyish demeanor melted away and was replaced with something deliciously sinister. Images of his muscular form draped over her body as they caressed and clawed at each other's bare flesh blanketed Raven's mind and a bothersome heat began to pool between her legs.

"I just want you to be comfortable Raven," He cooed, secretly enjoying teasing her like this.

As he stood in front of her she took a step back, colliding into the bed and falling down onto her butt. He bent forward and placed his hands on either side of her thighs, the tip of his nose brushing against hers as they locked eyes.

"If there is anything I can do to ease your nerves...Let me know" He whispered, his lips brushing against her mouth just soft enough to make her want more. Raven released a pent up breath unable to find the words to form a coherent sentence. Richard only took that as a yes and pulled away casually as if everything was the norm.

He dipped into his closet to fetch his lap top and returned, opening the device to pull up something for them to watch. Raven watched him as her body began to calm down, but she held on to what he said hopefully something to bring up later, anything she wanted him to do.

Richard placed his laptop at the foot of his bed with Netflix all queued up. Raven saw that the time was only nearing 8 o'clock, and admittedly wasn't ready to lay down for the night.

"We could start putting some boxes in the u-haul if you'd like, its dark but not that late yet." She shrugged, plus that'd give them more time during the day to explore the city.

Dick shrugged, "Sounds good to me,"

They spent about an hour moving boxes of his clothes into the back of the u-haul truck and surprisingly it wasn't as tiresome as Raven anticipated. Mostly because no one could be in a bad mood with Richard's infectious up-beat attitude. Every time they moved a box, he'd find something inside to reminisce about and Raven happily listened to his stories about the different endeavors he'd made over the years. She secretly wished her own life had been more interesting to tell, but alas she really did keep to herself the past few years.

Raven moved another box and saw a small black one placed on the floor behind it. She bent down and picked up it, "What's this?" She asked.

Dick smiled deviously, as he saw she found his little surprised. "for you."

Raven reluctantly untied the bow and opened the box to reveal a brand new phone, thin and sleek in a matte jet black color. "Richard..." She gasped, "I can't take this."

"Yes you can," He walked up to her and didn't accept the phone as she tried to hand it back to him.

"But I already have a phone," she patted her pockets and pulled out her small flip phone that was chipped and discolored from age.

"Rae when you first showed me that I thought you were going to break it open and pour candy out of it."

She groaned and held it to her chest protectively, "So it's a little old."

"A lot old, you can't connect to WiFi and I can't call you without listening to your voice gargling on the other end."

Her shoulders slumped as she looked down at the phone again. It would be nice to call him more than text and her phone did have a lot of problems. "But this is too expensive"

"Don't worry about it Rae, really," he cupped her hand in his as she thought for a moment longer. "I've been meaning to give it to you for a while, just a small upgrade."

"Hmm," she pouted, her eyes looking up at him as she helplessly ran out of excuses. A small upgrade costing several hundred dollars.

"It was either this or a car," Dick teased and she punched his arm. Again, a joke that could have easily been reality.

"Shut up," she pitched forward and kissed him, "thank you." He seemed so relieved she accepted the gift, and Raven realized it really was just a kind hearted gesture. She was just uncomfortable with being doted on. It was so unlike anyone in her life that Richard, who would happily give her the world was a bit overwhelming, but perhaps in moderation a gift here or there wouldn't hurt anyone.

"Let's take a break, order some food and I'll set it up for you."

She nodded and sat on his bed, taking her lap top out of her duffel bag. Dick stood beside her holding his phone, "Any requests? Pizza Corner delivers now..."

"mm. I had pizza a few nights ago, what about Sushi?" Raven shrugged.

"Perfect."

They started a movie on his Laptop as Richard sat beside her on the bed and began the activation process. Along with her phone he also bought her a black case that had small bat wings on the back of it to really seal the deal. Raven loved the simple little case so much she felt almost childish to admit it.

"Now just a finger print authentication," Dick prompted and Raven held her thumb to the "home" button until the app cleared. After a few more minutes of fiddling with her phone it was now fully operational with more applications and functions than Raven knew what to do with. Although the thin device would certainly come in handy with her day to day life. She could check her email, go online, plan her schedule, set alarms, listen to music, it was perfect.

"You'll have to manually sync your contacts since your other phone can't connect to this one."

"Not a problem at all, my only contacts are you and Ryu." Raven replied. "Speaking of, I should probably text her and see how everything went today."

"Really? After five years you never befriended anyone else?"

Raven shrugged, "I didn't feel the need to really," She sent Ryu a text asking how her day was and the mention of her new phone and was surprised with how fast the text sent and the little notification that Ryu had already read it.

"So how were you able to blend in all this time? No one ever recognized you?" Richard readjusted his position on the bed, sitting closer to Raven with his legs casually hanging off the foot of the bed.

Raven looked amused by his question, "I was never the center of attention with the Titans. Half the time I was concealed under my cloak, in my room, in the background until I was needed. I don't think I had a very memorable presence to the masses." Not someone memorable like Beast Boy with green skin, Cyborg being 90% a robot, or Star-fire with orange skin and fiery long hair.

"You did to me," he replied.

"Thanks, But rarely I did have people who got a little too curious about who I was and so I just used my power to persuade them to think otherwise. Confused their thoughts a bit until they weren't so interested anymore."

"Wow that comes in handy," Dick commented, "funny enough, when Barbara saw that photo of us, she knew it was you."

"Really?" Raven's tone didn't seem so surprised, "I guess it doesn't work like it use to."

Richard furrowed his brows, curious as to what she meant by that but before he could ask the door bell rung and he went to fetch their food. As Dick ran down the steps Raven addressed the feeling she'd been having the moment they got into town, like something bad was going to happen. Jump City always had a way stirring up trouble and she was afraid she might not be prepared for it. But she didn't want to tell Dick, they were having a good time, and she hoped in the end her inkling was wrong.

"So while you're here, who's looking over the most reckless city in the states?" Raven asked before popping a few edamame buds into her mouth. Their Japanese food was in multiple cartons, spread out over the floor as they almost completely devoured it within the few minutes after it was delivered. Raven's recommendation to eat on the floor instead of the bed incase they made too big of a mess.

"Damian, but I told a few others to keep an ear out." Richard replied eating a sushi roll in one full bite.

"So many Robins' Batman has a league of his own,"

"Yeah," Richard sighed, "Wayne manor institute for troubled youth and academy for masked crusaders."

Raven hummed, finishing the food she was chewing before speaking again. "You're the oldest right? What did you think when Bruce started adding more birds to his nest?"

"At first it was just supposed to be me, but he stumbled across other kids who needed his help too. And if I turned out okay he wanted that for them too." Richard finished the last of his food as Raven tossed the last shell into the pile with the other edamame.

"And they did turn out okay...for the most part," Raven added,

"Yeah," Richard's demeanor changed slightly at the subtle mention of Jason. He stood up and began throwing away their empty food containers silently.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring him up." Raven voiced standing up as well to help him clean up.

"Its fine Rae," Dick replied, he seemed less bothered than she thought and as much as she didn't want to ask and further bring up unwanted memories, this was a question she had been meaning to ask.

"So...What happened with Jason? Why'd he go rouge?"

Richard paused, holding open the trash bag as Raven dumped in more of the containers. He nodded towards his bed and they both walked over to it and sat down, Raven feeling slightly anxious for the story he was about to tell.

Richard sighed, "You know, Batman has done a lot of things not technically moral for a hero. There are many people who consider him a vigilante, but there is one thing he will never do."

Raven nodded, her eyes locked to his face as he stared blankly toward his balcony doors. She could feel him tugging on old emotions that didn't settle very well in her chest.

"There was this man Felipe Garzonas...a serial rapist, who we were unable to convict" He clicked his teeth, "His father had diplomatic immunity."

"He threatened one of his victims...that he would continue to abuse her. And after already enduring years of this, she decided to killed herself."

Raven swallowed harshly, realizing how dark this story turned and so quickly. Richard clenched his fists on his lap and she almost wanted to tell him to stop, seeing how distressed he was getting.

"We were going to protect her, but she made her choice. Jason found her body and immediately pursued Garzonas before Batman's orders. I took off after him but when I arrived at the scene, I saw the guy falling from a high roof top and Jason stood at the edge, watching as he hit the pavement."

"So he pushed him." Raven replied, her voice quiet in disbelief.

Richard looked at her, his eyes dark. "One thing Jason made very clear to us. Whether he pushed him or scared him enough to trip and fall at his own demise made no difference to him."

Because the outcome he wanted was the same...Raven was speechless, her mouth open in pure shock and slight disgust. What Jason did was wrong coming from the hands of a Robin and yet it was what Garzonas deserved. So was he wrong?

"A few weeks after that, Garzona's father wound up dead as well, and Bruce quickly realized Jason didn't share our ideals. But he left soon after that anyway."

Raven's phone chimed and she jumped out her thoughts catching her breath. It was a text from Ryu and she completely forgot she was in the middle of another conversation.

"Sorry to kill the mood," Richard voiced, standing from the bed and stretching his arms high above his head.

"No, No" Raven replied, "Sorry I asked." Ryu's message was displayed on the lock screen and as Richard continued to stretch he caught a glimpse of what it said.

"Lover boy wasn't in the shop today. I wonder why? ;p"

Raven rolled her eyes. "Lover boy? Whose that?" Dick asked.

"Oh it's no one," She spoke, slightly nervous Richard saw the text. "Just some guy that's been going to Ryu's a lot lately. She thinks it's because of me."

"Really? For how long?" Richard sat on the bed beside her making Raven feel even more nervous for a number of reasons. "He's only there when you're working?"

"Apparently" She shrugged. Raven could tell Richard was starting to get over protective and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "He's not a stalker, honestly I think he's just a new customer that comes for the tea, not the employees."

"Hmm," Richard clenched his jaw, glancing at the text again. "Well, I'm siding with Ryu until you have proof"

"Dick," She sighed, shaking her head. Now she unintentionally roped him into this too no thanks to Ryu. "He's no one" She faltered for a moment as her statement suddenly felt like a lie. Especially sense the last encounter with her nameless admirer seemed to somehow lead her back to Richard. After hearing Jason's story, and connecting the few suspicious and predictions as to who it might be, she had one more question to ask.

"Dick, what does Jason look like?"

He tilted his head, slightly surprised by her question, "Um, he's tall...a littler tanner than I am, short black hair..." As he began to describe his wayward brother Raven began to panic, she didn't want to think it was Jason. Why would it be? She'd never met him before in her life. How would he even know who she was? Where to find her? Why would he want to find her? She tried to keep a calm exterior as she felt dreadful on the inside.

"And he has blue eyes, like mine."

"Blue!" Raven gasped, looking up at Dick's face in a mixture of relief and confusion. "Okay," Raven sighed, maybe it wasn't Jason after all. Her guy had green eyes, she distinctly remembered that feature of him. Disregarding the vision of his eyes being blue, they were in reality, without out a doubt green. Maybe this was just her emotions going haywire, seeing a guy that reminded her of Dick, at this point she was willing to believe any excuse.

"Why the sudden interest in Jason?" Dick asked.

"Not an interest" She shrugged. "Just wanting to know more about your family,"

Richard huffed, "Well lets talk about the others, it's a lot less depressing." He stood up and started to head into his closet.

Raven unlocked her phone and replied to Ryu, actively changing the subject from the mention of her mystery guy. She then opened her lap top remembering she had to finish editing another article for her publisher before tomorrow after noon and figured she'd finish it up now.

She could hear Richard bustling around in the background and paused her rapid typing at the sound of the shower running. There were two small taps against the wall as Richard beckoned for her attention. Raven lifted her gaze to him standing before her, nude except for a large towel wrapped around the lower part of his hips. Her gaze shamelessly dipped down his row of abs to the thick lines framing his hips, seemingly acting as a pathway further south to another part of his body she hadn't seen in a long time. Instantly that heat returned and she realized her work might have to be put on hold.

He smiled confidently at her doe eyed expression, "I'm gonna head in the shower for a bit. You can join me if you'd like."

Raven nodded slowly, "O-okay"

He turned and walked away, her gaze following him as she tried to convince herself what he just proposed was real. Her phone chimed signaling a reply from Ryu and she stared blankly at the device picturing how much her boss would freak if she told her what was currently playing out. Ryu wondered if Raven's seen him shirtless and although that was true, she was about to see much more than that.


End file.
